The New Kid
by couellette
Summary: <html><head></head>Carlos Garcia is the new kid, with a twist. He's gay and crushing on possibly the most straightest guy he knows. But as they grow closer Carlos thinks he might have a chance. Might. Rated M for later chapters. Jarlos.</html>
1. Chapter 1

**_Review?  
><em>**  
>Chapter 1: The New Kid<p>

"Class, this is Carlos Garcia, our new student." My new teacher said sweetly, "Say hi!" She demanded after a few seconds of silence. There were a few hellos, and she seemed pleased. "Carlos, take your seat. It's right behind James Diamond." She said, pointing to a tall handsome guy. I walked over slowly and sat down behind him, feeling the gaze of the entire class follow me.

It's always hard being the new kid. Especially if you're gay, like I am. And then there's always the usual hard times in high school. Things like jocks, homophobes, crushing on a straight guy, and drama usually get you down. It's always twice as hard for a gay kid, trust me.

As class started, I realized how far behind I was and decided that, for once in my life, I'll study hard this time. Things didn't usually go as planned for me, though.  
>As for James Diamond. He was tall, tan, muscular, handsome, beautiful, and way out of my league. I always seem to find the one person that is least likely to fall for me so, yet again, I succeed at hopelessness.<p>

After class, I was finding my way to my locker when I bumped into this HUGE guy. He turned around slowly and gave me this death glare. I scampered away quickly before any damage was done to my face. I later learned his name was Donny. Note to self: Watch out for Donny.

I finally found my locker and started fiddling with the lock until I noticed someone watching me.

"Uhhh, why are you trying to get into my locker?" He asked sharply. I jumped, and turned to see James Diamond.

"Oh my god, I'm s-so sorry, I th-thought that this was m-my locker!" I stammered, trying to figure out if he was going to punch me. Instead, he grabbed my note that had my locker number on it.

"Yeah, your locker is the same number, just right down here." He said coolly, pointing to the one just below his, with the same number.

"T-thanks." I mumbled, stupidly. Way to make friends, Carlos. Way to go.

"So you're new here?" He asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see him putting books into his locker.

"Uh, yeah. My name is Carlos Garcia." I said trying to find something to talk about.

"That's cool." He said, as I looked over and saw two jocks walking over to us. Oh no, don't beat the crap out of me in front of him. One of them was average height, brown hair with blonde highlights and twinkling green eyes. And the other one had spiked up messy brown hair, and was kind of short. But both were pretty cute. But nothing compared to James.

"Hey James!" The taller one yelled. James whipped his head around, and smiled. He walked over to meet them, and after a little talking, he turned to me and motioned for me to come over. I hesitated, but went over for the sake of James.

"Carlos, this is Kendall," He said, pointing to the tall blonde one, "and this is Logan." He finished, gesturing to the shorter one.

"Hey Kendall and Logan." I said shyly.

"Carlos, you have to be louder than that if you want to be our friends!" Kendall said, laughing. I smiled as James ruffled my hair.

Then the bell rang.

"Well, we have to get to class." Logan said, pulling Kendall away.

"Bye guys!" James hollered down the hall. We laughed and walked back to our lockers.

"So, am I considered your guys' friend?"I asked sheepishly. He laughed.

"Well of course!" He said, closing his locker and turning to me. "Well I should get to class. See you later!" He said, clapping my back before heading to class. I closed my locker, smiling, and headed to class, blushing.

**_Hey guys! Thanks for all of the reviews so far! I have a good plot in store for Carlos, so review and favorite and anything else! :D_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Pleasepleaseplease review!_**

Chapter 2

After a horrifyingly boring science class, the bell finally rang signaling the beginning of my gym class. Finally, something I can get an A in. I dropped my backpack onto the bleachers and went into the locker room to change into my gym clothes. I walked in to find James changing. He turned and smiled at me.

"Yes! You're in my gym class? Awesome." He exclaimed, excited. I laughed nervously, knowing that now he's going to see how much of a dork I am.

I changed quietly in the corner, as usual, trying to not look at James half naked. I couldn't help but take a glance, and he noticed. Blushing, he quickly threw a shirt on and walked out of the locker room.

When I got to the field, the football game had started. Of course, it was flag football. But that didn't stop the huge jocks. James was on my team and he was great, fast and built. He was sprinting down the field, smiling, and then this huge guy came out of nowhere and his smile disappeared. He got tackled but managed to throw the ball into the air. I ran right under it and caught it and started sprinting towards the end line. I was about 10 yards away when this guy about twice my size tackled me. Ouch. I landed hard on the grass and half a second later the guy landed on me. We slid into the touchdown zone and I groaned as he got up and called me a douchebag. I just lied there as my vision came back and I could feel my arms again. Soon, a shadow fell over me and grabbed my arm to help me up. I cringed as he touched the spot that the other guy had landed on.

"Are you okay?" James' voice yelled in my ear. I groaned, pulled away and got up by myself. I looked up at him as we walked back to the refs to see that he had dirt all over his face and a small cut on his cheek.

"I hate jocks." I mumbled. He laughed and agreed.

"Are you ok? You're limping." He noticed. I chuckled.

"I'm perfectly fine. But that cut looks like it hurts." I said, flirtatiously.

"I'm good." He said, winking at me.

We played more football, and I decided to stay right out of the jocks' way. As it turns out, the huge guy that tackled me was Donny, the guy I bumped into in the hall. Awesome. I just love making new enemies that are twice my size and homophobes, too. At least I made friends with James, Logan, and Kendall! That's one good thing that came out of today.

"Get out of my way, fag!" Donny yelled as we got into the locker room. Then he shoved me onto the floor and walked to the other end of the locker room claiming he "didn't want me checking him out while he changed". How did he know that I'm gay, though? Am I really that obvious?

"Don't worry about him; he's just trying to hide the fact that he's gay." James' warm voice said, while he sent an icy glare towards Donny. Why was he protecting me?

"Nah, it's cool. It's not that big of a deal, really." I said as I finished changing and headed out.

When I finally got home from school, I grabbed a quick snack from the kitchen and headed into my room to work on homework. When I sat down to start it, I noticed I had a new text message. It said "Hey, it's James. You wanna hang with Kendall, Logan, and I?" I swear I gasped out loud. I sprinted back down the stairs.

"Ma! Papi?" I yelled. Then I heard my mom bustling around in the kitchen. I ran in and found her doing the dishes.

"Ma? Can I hang out with my friends James, Kendall, and Logan?" I asked hopeful.

"Sure." She said. "But be home by 10! Papi hates it when you're out too late."

"Thanks! Love you!" I said, kissing her on the cheek and hugging her.

I texted him back asking when and where. After a few minutes of pacing I got a reply saying "Uhh, maybe the ice rink." I quickly responded "Sure. I'll be there in 10 minutes!".  
>Then I remembered that I completely suck at skating.<p>

I ran upstairs and grabbed my car keys and sprinted down to my car as fast as I could.

When I got there, I saw a few cars there, and James waiting for me outside.

"Hey! Just to let you know beforehand, I suck at skating." I said, smiling as he laughed and said "Well I won't let anything bad happen to you." So sweet.

When we walked inside I looked into the rink and saw Logan and Kendall gliding around on the ice like they weighed nothing. We walked over to a couple benches where he fitted me with blades.

"Don't laugh when I fall, ok? I asked him tentatively, while he tied my skate and then his own. He chuckled.

"I won't. I promise." He said, looking up into my eyes. My knees went weak. He grabbed my hand and helped me up. I wobbled on the blades and we walked over to the entrance to the ice.

**_How you guys like it so far? Review please! :)_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_This is where the plot thickens..._**

Chapter 3

James guided me onto the ice slowly, both of us laughing as we realized we had an audience. Kendall and Logan were watching with smiles growing on their faces.

"Just ignore them." He whispered, "Logan fell a lot before he actually got on the ice!" He laughed. I laughed nervously, as I clutched James' biceps, now fully on the ice. He smirked at me and stepped onto the ice. I tensed, not having any solid support.

"Relax." He said almost seductively. I forced myself to relax.

"Alright, can you teach me how to skate now?" I asked trying to not sound impatient, because if I didn't get moving soon I would fall over.

"Alright. It's just like walking, except you scuff your feet. Like, drag your feet." He said, trying to demonstrate, and laughing as he watched me slide across the ice a few inches.

"Go on! Try it." He said, gliding away, leaving me by myself on the ice. I looked up at him, and he gave me an encouraging nod.

I smiled and dragged my feet, stepping forward. To my shock, I glided forward a couple feet and came to a slow stop when I angled my feet just right. I looked up smiling and saw James smiling. Kendall and Logan started cheering, and took off flying around the rink. James skated over and grabbed my hand, shot me a smile and we took off.

I felt like I was flying when I was skating, and to make it even better, I was holding James' hand too! He stopped abruptly and my hand went flying out of his. But I kept going and slammed into the sideboards.

"Carlos! Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" He came over, exclaiming. I got up, with the help of James and squeaked "I'm good."

I laughed weakly and skated to the exit.

"I think I'm going home, I gotta get my homework done and whatnot." I said, as I untied my skates.

"Yeah, you're probably right." He said, waving goodbye to Kendall and Logan who were also leaving.

After we were all set to go home, we got outside and I shivered as a breeze blew by.

"Are you cold? I have an extra jacket if you need it!" He offered, reaching into his truck and pulling out a slightly big sweatshirt and tossing it to me.

"Thanks!" I replied, slipping it on. It smelled just like he does, which was amazing.

"Oh, do you need a ride home?" He asked, as he started up his truck.

"Uh, no, my car is just around back." I answered.

"Oh, okay." He said. "Well, seeya tomorrow in school." He finished, stepping forward and embracing me. It felt like it lasted forever, but it actually ended too soon.

"Yeah, uh, bye!" I said awkwardly, as he got in his truck, winked and drove away. I sighed and started my walk around back. I laughed too myself about the whole night.

Then I looked up and saw a hooded figure come out of nowhere to my left, and slam into me, sending me into the brick wall. I smashed my head against the building and moaned as blood trickled down my face. I looked up to see my attacker, but the shadows hid him. He laughed viciously, and punched me in the side of the face. I got a small glimpse of his face before blacking out.

**_Ooooh. Wonder what happens next? Review! :D_**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

He had my pants down in a matter of seconds, holding a knife against my throat as he raped me. I starting fighting at first, but he pressed the knife against my throat harder, drawing blood. So I just cried and took it. When he was finally done, he kicked me in the head and left me there. Pants down, cheeks tear-stained, and uncontrollably shaking. I don't remember much after that. I barely remember going home and sobbing.

I dreamed that night. I re-lived every moment of it. The only thing that had changed was the attacker. Whenever I dreamed it, it was James raping me.

I couldn't get the image or feeling out of my head, and I had breakdowns every day. But I couldn't tell anyone. Nobody would believe me, or they would laugh, or they would tell someone and I would be a freak.

Whenever I felt someone touch me, I would flip out and start crying. Can you blame me? The last time I was touched, I was raped.

School came too quickly, and people still didn't know. Who can I trust?

It was the Monday after I was raped, and I was all set to go. Except for the huge dark circles under my eyes. And the fact that my ass hurt.

I slowly walked downstairs to get some breakfast consisting of a couple of toaster waffles and a glass of milk. Just as I finished breakfast, the doorbell rang. I put my dishes in the sink and went to open the front door.

"Hey! I haven't heard from you since Friday!" James said cheerily. "Did you get any of my texts?"

"Uh, no, I don't think so." I responded quietly. He kept trying to make eye-contact with me, but I wouldn't let him.

"Hey, what's the matter?" He said as tears began to well up, and just as fast, roll down my cheek. He went to grab my arm to pull me into a hug but I shrugged him off, turned, and ran upstairs crying.

I couldn't let him know that I was raped. He'd be scared off. Nobody likes someone who's emotionally scarred. Especially a gay, emotionally scarred kid.

He followed me up into my room, persistent.

"Bud, I'm here for you. You can tell me anything." He said, trying to rub my back, but I skipped away just before he touched me. He looked confused.

"It's nothing." I said as my voice cracked. Shit, I hate it when that happens. I looked up at him.

"What happened?" He said, tearing up. I couldn't stand to see him cry. But I still didn't want to touch him. I wasn't ready for it yet.

"Nothing, just, don't worry about it." I said, as convincingly as I could at the moment. He came over to sit next to me, on my bed. I slid away. I couldn't chance it.

He gave me a saddening look. It hurt him. It hurt me too. I might be able to other let people touch me before him. Because when I got a glimpse of the rapists face, I saw that he looked like James. Almost exactly like James. But it couldn't have been James. James wouldn't do that. Would he?

_**And the plot thickens.. how'd you guys like it? A little twist to it, huh? Review! :D**_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Every day after that, when I saw James in the hallways, he gave me this sad look and turned away. It broke my heart. But I couldn't risk making contact. It all felt just wrong. They didn't get it. One small brush in the hall, and I would break into tears. People began saying I was crazy. Hey, maybe I was.

Months passed and I think that James completely forgot about me. But I never stopped thinking about him. I dreamed about him, or so I thought.

I was walking in town about 6 months since that night James followed me into my room. I glanced across the street to see James, and ran over. I needed to talk to him.

"James!" I called from about 30 feet behind him. He turned and waited until I finally got to him.

"James I-" I began, as I looked up at him. It wasn't him. But when I realized who it was, I couldn't move. I was frozen in fear. He recognized me, too.

"You. You're-. You'd better not tell anyone what happened. I will kill you. No. I will kill the ones you love. And then kill you." He said, before turning on his heel and continuing on like nothing happened. I, however, didn't feel the same way.

I forgot everything I was doing and just sprinted home, to safety. When I got into my room, out of breath, I jumped onto my bed in tears. I landed on something crunchy. I pulled it out from under my knee, and saw a note with jagged handwriting saying "Remember what I said. Do not tell anyone."

I wasn't even safe at home. How'd he find out where I lived? How'd he get the note in my room? What do I do?

I broke down into tears again, and decided to skip school tomorrow. I couldn't deal with all this emotional stress, along with seeing James heart-broken.

I woke up, and looked at my alarm clock. It read 11:46. Shit. I fell asleep. My growling stomach decided that I needed food, so I silently opened my door and snuck downstairs. Hoping nobody would wake up and I'd have to deal with them, I snatched a quick meal consisting of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an apple. I slid back upstairs, placing my feet where I know the stairs wouldn't creak. I got back into my room, sat down, and ate my food, silently. I thought about all the solutions to my problems. I could reach out, and tell James but then he'd be sad. And I can't have that happen. I could not tell anyone, and hope that it doesn't continue. That one sounds better. I just want James close to me again. These past few months have been the worst in my life.  
>I placed the remains of my sandwich and apple on my night stand, rolled over, and went back to bed.<p>

I woke up the next morning to my stupid alarm clock. I forgot to turn it off. I clicked it off, got up and hopped in the shower. When I got out, I wrapped a towel around my waist and walked back into my room, drying off. I checked my phone, and saw that I had a text message from James, it said hey. I quickly replied and threw some sweatpants on, and a black tank top.

After messaging back and forth, I told him that I wasn't going to school. He was instantly worried and asked a bunch of questions. I just told him that I was tired. He didn't buy it. So of course he texted me saying that he was coming over.

I gasped out loud when I read that text. I replied "Uhhhh. You need to go to school, though." He didn't reply.

I practically forgot all about our conversation until about 10, when I was donstairs in the kitchen. I heard a crash from my bedroom. Without thinking, I raced up the stairs and into my room to find James. He was got up from the floor, turned and closed the window he just climbed through.

"Well, hi." He said, brushing off his shirt and smiling at me.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Is this long enough for you guys? I decided that every chapter has to be at least 1000 words. If not, then more! Enjoy! :)_**

Chapter 6

"Uh, hi." I replied, startled. I could not believe that James had skipped school, and climbed through my window just to make sure that I was ok.

"Are you...ok?" He said, twiddling his fingers, and slowly approaching me. Each time he stepped forward, I grew more on edge.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked, making a desperate attempt to change the subject. "You seem...different."He said, pausing, before saying, "I came to make sure you're ok, and if you aren't then I'll chill with you here until you are. Ok?"

I nodded my raised his eyebrows and gave me a look that said 'You going to answer the question?'.

"Oh! Uh, well...Can I trust you? With possibly my deepest darkest secret?" I asked, trying to focus on anything but his gorgeous chocolate brown eyes.

"Carlos, you can trust me with your life. You know that."He replied.

"Well, these past few months have been a little...well...you seem like you don't like me." I stuttered. "I thought that you didn't like me!" he said, and then paused before saying, "Wait. What do you mean 'like you'?

"I-I d-don't know." I said, suddenly interested in my feet.

"Carlos. Do you...like me?" He asked, stepping closer.

"Of course!" I practically yelled. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"I mean, like like me." He said, gazing into my eyes. I broke eye contact.

"Oh. Uh. Why? Do you like like me?" I asked, trying to avoid saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

"Well, yeah!"He answered loudly. I was shocked. "What do you think that whole ice rink thing was? It was me trying to flirt, and it was possibly our first date!"

Just the thought of that night brought tears to my eyes. I sat on my bed, putting my head in my hands and trying to wipe away the tears without him noticing. Needless to say, I failed.

"Why are you crying? Are you...a homophobe?" He asked, shocked.

"No. In fact, i'm gay too. And I really like you." I felt a burning sensation in my chest. I felt warm all over, and began sweating. What was I doing? It was true, but I couldn't date him. He shouldn't be burdened with a mentally scarred boyfriend.

He reached to grab my hand and comfort me, but I cringed away. He looked hurt.

"Carlos, whenever I go to touch you, you instantly go the opposite way. Why is that?" He asked, with a hurt look on his face. He walked towards where I was sitting, and I scooted back further onto my bed. But then I realized that he wasn't going for me. He grabbed the note that was on my dresser.

"Remember what I said. Do not tell anyone." He read aloud. "Tell anyone what? Is this a death threat? Carlos! Please tell me what's going on!" He pleaded.

I tucked my knees to my chest, and started crying. I felt him sit at the edge of my bed, and I looked up. He was just staring at the note.  
>"Carlos, what is going on?" He whispered, beginning to cry. I think he was catching on. He wiped his tears quickly and turned to look me in the eyes.<p>

"He raped me." I whispered, before crumbling onto my pillow and covering it with tears. After a few minutes of me sobbing, I finally stopped, and looked up at James. He had this horribly sad look on his face. I felt terrible.

"I'm sorry." I choked out. He whipped his head over to look at me.

"For what? You did nothing wrong. Carlos, I'm so sorry this happened." He said, beginning to reach out to me, but stopping himself and pulling his hand back.

"For dragging you into this mess. And for not letting you touch me. And-" My voice broke just as I was about to say "for loving you".

"Oh Carlos, I want to be brought into this. I can help. I will help. You just need to tell me who did this to you, and when. I can call 911." He said.

"No! He said i-if I told anyone he'd k-kill my loved ones and th-then m-me." I said, before becoming a broken, crying mess again. I heard him gasp, in between sobs. I glanced up, and he looked like he wanted to hug me, but knew he shouldn't.

I crawled over to him and hugged him tightly. He hugged back, smiling at the small gesture. "Aw, Carlos. You're so cute." He said, chuckling as I pulled away and sat back where I was.

I blushed.

"Here's the plan, whether you like it or not. I stay here for the rest of the day, and possibly the night, too, to protect you from the guy that gave you that note. And God knows what will happen if he were to come back..."He said, trailing off. He must've seen the look on my face because he changed the subject. "So, let's go grab some lunch and then come back here hang out." He finished.

I nodded, told him to wait on my bed, and went and grabbed a quick shower. I came out of the bathroom in just a towel, forgetting that James was here. I jumped when I saw him, and he laughed. I went back into my bathroom to dry off, and then came back out to get some nice clothes for lunch. I grabbed a bright white polo and dark jeans.

"Alright, look away." I giggled. He smiled and turned his head. I quickly changed and went back into my bathroom to fix my hair. I like the way he didn't peek when I was changing.

"Ready to go!" I told him as I walked out of my bathroom. He was tossing a baseball in the air when I came out. He gave me a once-over and did a perfect catcall. I laughed.

"Let's go." He said, getting up from my bed and heading downstairs. As we walked to his truck I noticed that he didn't try to rush things. He kept his distance, and didn't try to hold my hand or anything. I asked him about it before getting in his truck.

"Well, you'll make the choices when you're ready. I don't want to hurt you." He said, smiling sweetly, before hopping in the front seat. I smiled to myself and walked around to the passenger seat. I hopped into the truck as he started it, and the radio came on loud, making us both jump. He moaned, annoyed at something.

"I HATE country music!" He said, changing the station to a pop station where Lady Gaga was playing. He turned it up and smiled at me, before pulling out my driveway.

I was definitely starting to like this guy.

**_Ooooh. A lunch date ;)_**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

We spent the rest of the way to lunch belting out Born This Way by Lady Gaga and by the time we pulled into the place where we were going to eat, we were laughing hysterically. "Oh, oh God." I said, wiping tears from my eyes. "Where are we?"

"It's this cute little cafe I found! Come on!" He said, sliding out of the car. He was right, it was cute. It was decorated nicely, between modern and country style. I liked it.

We ordered our lunches and found a table next to the huge window in the front.

"So, is there anything I can do to help? I don't want to be...overbearing, but if I can help in any way, then I will." James asked, breaking the silence.

"Not that I can think of. You're doing great so far." I said with a smiled.

"Good, I'm glad." He said, sipping his smoothie.

Once we finished eating, we got back in the truck and headed to his house. It was really nice, and really big. We pulled into the driveway, and I just sat there staring at his house.

"So, what do you think?" He asked playfully.

"It's gorgeous." I said, in awe. It was probably twice the size of my house.

"Well let's go!" James said, pulling me out of my thoughts. We walked in, and James took my coat from me and hung it up. He gave me a little tour, and we ended up in his game room. It was brightly lit, with a huge flatscreen tv mounted on the wall, and a huge plush bean bag in the center. James sprinted in and cannonballed onto the bean bag, motioning for me to do it too. I ran as fast as I could and did my best front-flip onto the bean bag, landing next to James, and rolling over on top of him. I was laughing, and when I opened my eyes, and realized where I was. I scrambled off of him, letting him get up, as I blushed. "I'll go get some popcorn, and you pick out a movie and set it up, deal?" He asked, gone before I could agree.

I searched through the movies before I settled on a scary one. James still wasn't back, so I decided to look around the room. I found a really cute picture of James from last years school picture, and I stole it and put it in my wallet just as he walked in an announced that he had popcorn.

"What movie did you pick?" he asked, curious.

"Uhhh, a scary one." I mumbled, blushing. He raised his eyebrows.

"I see." He said, smirking, and dropping himself down next to me on the bean bag.

We casually watched the movie, and he didn't try to make any moves like I thought he would. Which was good and bad at the same time. Good, because, well, I don't know. It just is. Bad, because I need someone to hold me.

I felt something touching my hand, so I glanced down nonchalantly and saw James' hand sliding over mine. I may or may not have gasped out loud. But his hand was so warm, and I prayed to God that my hand wasn't sweaty. He looked over at me and gave me a charming smile, and I smiled back. Things were perfect. And then a scary scene on the movie came on and I yelped, and squeezed James' hand pretty hard. He laughed, and then comforted me.

We held hands until the end of the movie, when James got up and turned on the lights.

"What next?" We asked in unison. We cracked up nervously, after that scary movie.

"James, can we talk about something?" I said shakily. He turned to me, suddenly serious.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I'm...scared. What if the guy that-what if he comes back?" I asked, beginning to cry, suddenly terrified. I slowly sat back down onto the bean bag, shaking.

James hesitated before saying "Well I'll stay with you tonight. If it's alright with you." He said confidently. I glanced up to see him smiling down at me before pulling me to my feet and giving me a hug. Then I felt him go. I froze too.

"What?" I asked him.

"Are you...ok with me hugging you? Or did I just force you to touch me even after I understand if you don't want to." He said, pulling away from the hug and holding me at arms length.

"James, if I didn't want to hug you or touch you, then you'd know." I smirked at him and he pulled me into a stronger hug. I couldn't even move, and those are the kind of hugs that I love.

We decided to head back to my house, considering it was about 4o'clock. When we got there, nobody was home yet. So I made a plan.

"Alright, here's the plan. You go back to your house and then when my mom gets home i'll talk to her about you staying the night. And I'll text you when she says yes. Alright?" I said.

"Sounds good! I'll seeya then!" He said, hugging me before taking off.

It was then that I felt alone. I walked into my house and went straight up into my bedroom and cleaned up a little bit. Then I heard my mom come home. I raced downstairs to meet her at the door.

"Hi Mom!" I said cheerily.

"Hi Carlos." She responded, kissing my head and going into the kitchen.

"I have a question." I said, decided to get right to the point. My mom turned around with her eyebrows raised.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Can my friend James sleep over tonight. We have a project to work on and it'll take a while. Please?" I pleaded. I opened my eyes, to see her pondering it.

"As long as you do the dishes after dinner, and you must be very quiet. I don't want any crazy stuff happening." She said, before turning to go sit down on the couch.

"YES!" I cheered, and then texted James. I said 'Come over after dinner. I'll text you then.' to which he responded 'Awesome! Seeya then!'.

I was so excited. I immediately started cooking dinner to get it over with.

When I finally finished dinner I did the dishes like I was on speed, and sprinted upstairs without breaking a sweat. I grabbed my phone and texted him, telling him to come over.

He was ringing my doorbell in 5 minutes flat. I walked downstairs and opened the door and let him in.

"Ma! James is here!" I yelled to the other room. I heard a distant 'go work on your project' response. James chuckled, so I smacked his arm. I grabbed his other arm, and dragged him upstairs and into my bedroom.

"This is my humblr abode." I said, presenting my room like a trophy of some kind. James laughed and picked up my boxers. I grabbed them and threw them in the hamper.

"So, what do you want to do?" I asked, sitting down on my bed. "Whatever is good with you." He responded, sitting down. Suddenly, his face snapped up to look at mine, a mixture of shock and anger in his eyes. He leaned over me and grabbed a small piece of paper laying delicately next to me. The second I saw it, I knew what it was. It was another note from the man that messed me up. James read it, and he grimaced as I took the note and read its contents. Even though I wish I hadn't.

It read: _You told the tall brunette, didn't you? James, is it? You shouldn't have brought James into this, because he's just going to get his heart broken when you're gone._

_**Oh snap. Review? :D **_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I looked up at James, tears threatening to fall down my cheek. He just sat there, in shock, trying to figure out what to do. Finally, he leaned over and hugged me.

"It's ok, i'm here, you're safe." He whispered in my ear, during the hug. I smiled and grasped his body harder, in reply.

"Let's just...pretend that didn't happen and go on with our night, ok? What's the plan?" He asked, tossing the note onto my dresser. "Uhh, haven't figured that out yet." I said, smirking. He laughed.

"Well, we could play video games." I suggested. He shrugged.

"We could...I don't know, my house is boring." I finished stupidly.

"Huh." He mumbled.

"Let's go to your house!" I asked, suddenly excited at the thought.

"Well, my mom is actually on a business trip, so we'd have the house to ourselves." He said. "I'll text her."

Minutes later, he had a reply saying yes! So I ran downstairs and asked ma if I could chill at James' house for the night. She said yes!

I got back upstairs and told James what my mom said, and he began helping me pack an overnight bag. Before I left my room, I remember to lock the window, and pull the shades. We ran downstairs and out the front door, yelling a goodbye to my parents.

"I don't know what we could do at my house, considering we already watched a movie. Unless you want to watch another one?" He asked, glancing between me and the road on the way to his house. I shrugged and nodded my head. Why not?

We pulled into his driveway at about 9:15, and we walked in and dropped my bags at the edge of the stairs. James headed to the kitchen and grabbed an apple and began eating.

We walked to his room this time, and popped another scary movie in. James climbed into his bed, and I set up my sleeping bag next to his bed, much to his dismay.

Throughout the movie, I would jump at the scary parts, and James would reach over and ruffle my hair, which somehow calmed me down. Finally, the scary movie ended and I was horrified. I got up, trembling, and turned off the tv and dvd player. I glanced over to see that James was in his pajama pants and a small white shirt. I don't remember him changing. I must have fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of the movie.

I quickly changed into pajama pants, and slid back into my sleeping bag. The alarm clock was right next to me, and I watched as time passed. An hour...an hour and a half. And finally at 1AM, I unzipped my sleeping bag, got up and hopped into James' bed. I got under the covers and squirmed a little until my body was hugged tightly to James' chest and stomach. I looked over my shoulder to see James smile in his sleep. Within 10 minutes, just as I was drifting off, James moved, chuckled and wrapped his arm around me, and we fell asleep.

"Carlos? Do you want to go to school today, or take another sick day?" James said, waking me up gently.

"Mrggh, sick day." I mumbled, and fell back to sleep.

I woke up again a few hours later, sat up, and checked the time. It was 9:45. I hopped out of bed and grabbed the nearest sweatshirt; it was cold. I rubbed my eyes, and headed downstairs to find James in the kitchen. He had made some french toast for breakfast. I walked in the kitchen, and he looked up at me.

"Good morning sleepyhead." He laughed, "Eat whatever, if you don't want french toast."

"G'mornin'. Thanks for making me breakfast." I replied, only half awake. I began eating my french toast across the table from him, and after a little while I noticed he was looking at me.

"What?" I asked, as he sat back in his chair and chuckled.

"Nice sweatshirt." He replied, looking down at my clothes.

"Thanks." I said, looking down to find that it wasn't my sweatshirt, "Oops. I'm sorry! I-I grabbed the closest thing I could f-find! I was cold!" I said as I quickly pulled it off with a shiver, holding it out to him. He pushed it back towards me.

"No, it's ok! I was just teasing. I don't care if you wear my clothes. It looks good on you, even if it is a little big. It looks cute." He said, giving me a little once over. I blushed and quickly finished my french toast under his gaze.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" I asked, beginning to get self-conscious.

"I don't know. I'm happy that you're here." He said, smiling at me. "Awh. Well, i'm going to go get ready. Like, get dressed and shower so I don't look like crap all day." I said, rubbing my face and hair.  
>"No, it's fine, let's have a pajama day!" He said cheerily.<p>

"But you're already dressed!" I retorted. He looked down at himself. And gave me a shrug. I gave him a sly smile, turned and sprinted up the stairs. He chased me all the way up and grabbed me before I could lock myself in the bathroom. He got me in a playful bearhug and carried me over to the bed and laid me down, both of us laughing hysterically.

"Alright, alright, fine. Go take a shower and think about what you want to do today." He said as we finished laughing. I hopped up, gave him a hug and skipped into the bathroom.

As I got in the shower I caught myself smiling, thinking about what we could do today. I wonder if he'd like to go to the mall. Or maybe the movies. The possibilities with James were endless. All I knew was that it was going to be a great day.

When I finally got out of the shower, I quickly changed into a dark pair of jeans and a nice shirt and jogged downstairs to find James waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

"So what's the plan?" I asked him.

"I don't know! Whatever you want." He replied.

"Ok, well how about some a trip to the mall? And then maybe some lunch?" I asked him. He smiled and nodded.

"Sounds like a plan! But, I thought you hated being in crowds?" He asked.

"I can deal with it for a little while." I said, shrugging.

"Ok, well let's go!" He said, opening the front door for me. It was a short ride to the mall from James' house and when we go there, I realized how packed it was. He gave me a worry-filled look, and I just smiled reassuringly.

We walked around for a little while and then decided to get some lunch in the food court. "So, what do you think you want to get?" He said, as he took a bite into his sub from Subway.

"Not quite sure yet." I replied, looking around.

"I'll help you pick stuff out!" He volunteered quickly.

"Alright." I answered, laughing.

After we finished our lunch, I followed James into a few name brand stores and he picked out some cute jeans and shirts for me. We had a great time and did a little fashion show, and ended up  
>laughing hysterically. We actually got kicked out of a store for being too loud, because we were laughing.<p>

After a few hours, I got tired and had spend a good portion of my money.

"Ready to go?" He asked, reading my mind.

"Yeah, I'm all set." I said, grabbing his arm and guiding him to the nearest exit. There were so many people and I was getting anxious. We got out to his truck and and loaded my bags in. In a short five minutes we were back at my house.

"Here we are." He said, almost sadly.

"I don't want to go home!" I complained.

"I'll see you tomorrow, in school. We have second period together! I'll see you then." He assured.

I slowly got out of the car and watched him drive down the road, as I waved goodbye. I turned and walked into my house, greeting my parents. I walked upstairs, dreading my room. I opened my door, with my eyes closed, and walked in. It was slightly hot, which meant the window wasn't open. Which meant that it hadn't been opened. Which meant no note. I peeped out of one eye, and saw my bed, neatly made from when James and I left yesterday. No note.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I woke up the next morning, remembered that I had to go to school, and groaned. I rolled out of bed and directly into the bathroom, as usual. I checked myself out in the mirror, as the water warmed up. I flexed my muscles, and frowned. I pulled off my shirt and checked to see if I had abs yet. Still none. I guess I might need to work out if I was those...

I hopped into the shower and, what felt like just as quickly, hopped out all done. I whipped my hair around and walked into my bedroom and pulled on the clothes that James bought me yesterday. He was right, they did look pretty good. I sprayed a little cologne on, grabbed my backpack and headed downstairs.

I ate my cream cheese bagel quickly, as I was running late. I sprinted upstairs, brushed my teeth, popped a piece of gum in my mouth and went down the stairs two at a time when I heard James knock on the door. I smoothed my clothes, and opened the door.

"Hey Car- Damn, those clothes do look good on you." He said, quite loudly. I blushed and looked at the floor.

"Let's go!" I said, grabbing my backpack. We walked over to his truck and climbed in. Literally, I can never get over how high his truck is. He has to practically pull me in.

"I feel so short!" I exclaimed when I was finally in the passenger seat. James laughed.

"It's because you are." He said, winking when he saw the playful glare I sent him. I punched his arm, causing him to laugh some more. Then he got really quiet. I got worried and asked him what was wrong.

"Carlos, when are you going to come out to your parents? I'm out to mine." He said, looking over at me. I stopped smiling.

"I don't know if i'm going to any time soon. They aren't exactly the 'accepting' type." I said, emphasizing accepting. He shrugged.

"You never know. It's honestly not that hard. Just say it how it is, and act all tough about it. They won't challenge you if you're sure about yourself." He said with pride. I must say, his little speech really made me eager to get out of the closet. And after all, it did seem to work for him.  
>"You know what? I will. Eventually." I said, as we pulled into a parking spot and I jumped out of the truck, smiling as I heard him groan.<p>

"You really should. It's great." He said, bringing it back up when we were walking through the hallways.

"I know I know I know." I said, a little annoyed at the nagging. He must have picked up on it, because as soon as I said it he hugged me.

"I'm sorry. Do it when you want. I just want the whole world to know about us. You know? And if anyone gives you shit, just tell me. I know people." He said, almost sadly before making eye-contact and then walking into his class.

It made me feel horrible.

After getting caught in the middle of a spit ball war in first period, I practically ran to second period to see James again. When I got there we had changed units again. This time is was something a little less...physical. Volleyball!

I walked straight to the locker rooms and noticed that James was already done. Darn. I quickly changed and went out to greet him.

"Ready for some volleyball?" He asked, excitedly.

"Not really, I kind of suck." I replied, laughing.

"Well, I'll make sure that you're on my team. I can help you!" He said, smiling to go ask the teacher. I watched him and watched the teacher nod his head in approval. I cheered when he came back.

"Let's go kick some butt!" James said joyfully, not noticing the dirty looks I was getting. James was actually really good at volleyball, unlike myself. The ball came to me multiple times and I would hit it over to another team and they would spike it down in my face. They seemed to only do that because people laughed when I failed at returning a spike. It made me feel like crap. On the other hand, James was amazing. He'd dive for the ball and save it, return spikes, and stuff like that.  
>How can he even fall for someone like me? He should have higher standards. I'm not even out to my parents. I need to find a way to impress him.<p>

The rest of the period, I stood in the back with my hands in my pockets keeping to myself. Before I knew it, the bell rang, signaling that I could finally go to a class that I was good at; biology.

It just so happened that James was also in that class, which was good. We spent the whole class watching a powerpoint about horrible diseases, but me and James passed notes the whole time, talking about nothing important. But he was really flirty, calling me cute, and adorable and stuff like that.

After biology ended the rest of the day flew by. I had a study hall and then geometry, which went by pretty quickly. And finally, it was the end of the day. I found James at our locker and he was talking to Kendall and Logan.

"Hey guys!" I said, strolling up.

"Hey Carlitos." James said, winking at me.

"Hey." Logan said.

"What's up?" Kendall asked.

"Not much, how're you guys doing?" I asked them.

"Good! I haven't seen you since...hm. Since the ice rink!" Kendall exclaimed. I winced, and felt tears burn at my eyes, immediately looking at the floor and telling them that I had to go. I turned and quickly walked away.  
>I heard Logan say something like "Wow, he cries at the drop of a hat- Ow! Why'd you elbow me James?" And then I was out of range, and on my way home.<p>

I was about a block away from school when I just started crying, re-running the whole scene of the ice rink through my head. Then the notes. Then James. He deserved better than me. I must impress him. I must.

I quickened my pace and got home about 40 minutes later.

I jogged up the stairs and began my homework, on my note-free bed. I woke up 3 hours later, to my phone vibrating in my pocket. It was James, calling me.

"Hello?" I said, answering my phone.

"Are you ok?" He asked immediately.

"Never better."

"I'm sorry."

"It's no big deal."

"Well, it is. But-"

"I'm going to do it." I said.

"Do what?" "You'll see. It's nothing bad. I'll call you later." I said, and hung up. My mom was calling me down for dinner.

"Hey Mama and Papi." I said, sitting down at the dinner table. My mom shuffled around the kitchen, preparing our plates before sitting down herself.

"I have something really important I need to talk to you guys about. I need your full attention." I said, looking at Papi, who was reading the newspaper. He put it down and looked at me impatiently. I began shaking and sweating. This was it.

"M-mama. P-papi. I-I-I'm..." I began, stuttering. I felt like saying "Really hungry!" And having a normal dinner. But no. This is it.

"Mam. Papi. I'm...uh, gay." I mumbled.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Papi asked, leaning closer.

"Papi, I'm gay." I said, confidently. I looked up at him, and saw his eyes grow big. I chanced a glance at my mom, and she stood and walked over to Papi and starting trying to calm him. It wouldn't work.

"Y-you-DISGRACE! You inconsiderate little fag! Where did I go wrong?" He said, standing now, and yelling. I cringed at every word and syllable he pronounced. I immediately began to cry.

I looked at my mom, and she looked back at me with loving eyes and gestured me to go to my room. Papi saw the gesture, but mis-interpretted it. "Your mother's right! Get out! Go make love to guys somewhere else, because we don't want our family name disgraced because we have a fag as a son. Get out. Find different parents, because you don't have any anymore." Papi screamed. And with one quick move across the table, he back-handed my left cheek. I fell to the floor and he made a move to come at me, but Mama stepped in the way and shoved him up against a wall and gestured for me to get out, and fast.

I sprinted upstairs and shoved as many clothes as I could fit into a duffel bag and backpack. I grabbed everything I would need and ran down the stairs for what might be the last time, glancing into the kitchen to see Papi sitting at the dining room table, rubbing his temples and my mom holding him down.

I kicked the front door open and ran into the streets.

I called James and told him to pick me up at the closest gas station to my house. Within 10 minutes, he pulled in. I climbed into the truck and tossed my duffel bag into the back.

"I'm so sorry." James said, guessing what had happened. I broke down crying when he hugged me. He pulled me in tighter and we just sat there for a while with me crying into his chest and him hugging me tightly.

_**How do you guys like it so far? Another horrible twist to the story! :P Poor Carlos D: Review!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**_This chapter is a little short but I plan on updating over the weekend, so calm down!_**

Chapter 10

We decided to take a drive around town, until I calmed down enough to get back to James' house without his Mom throwing questions at us. It was quiet for a while, except for my cries. The whole time, James had his hand meeting mine, on my armrest.

That's what I love about James. He tells you that he loves you in such subtle ways, not overdoing it like everyone else.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" James asked awkwardly.

"Where am I going to stay? Will my parents ever accept me? Will I ever see my family again?" I asked, suddenly hysterical. James pulled over on a deserted street.

"You are staying with me until we get this all sorted out. As for the other question..I honestly don't know. Call your mom tomorrow. Maybe your Dad will have calmed down by then?" He said, assertive at first, but unsure towards the end.

"How will your mom take that?" I asked, hoping that he'd say that she wouldn't care.

"She doesn't have to know about it." He replied, looking down.

"Does your mom know that you're gay?" I asked, shocked.

"Yeah. And she will not like the fact that you're staying at my house, because you're gay." He said., "So, we're going to have to smuggle you in."

We parked the truck a block over from James' house, and walked the rest of the way. Of course there was a huge tree next to James' window, so we climbed up that and into his bedroom.

"You stay here, and do not make a peep. I'm going to get the truck and act like i'm coming home, normally." He said quietly, before sliding back down to the ground and sprinting off into the night.

I turned and placed my duffel bag onto the floor, not knowing what to do next. I plopped down onto James' bed, and started crying again, taking in all that had happened and how my life had turned upside down in the past hour.

Before I could react, the bedroom door came flying open to reveal, James.

"Alright. Now what?" I asked, wiping my eyes before he could see my tears.

"Well, it's late. Where do you want to sleep?" He said with hope in his eyes.

"With you. I don't want to be alone right now." I said, running over to hug him. He hugged back, tightly, and before I could pull away I was in the air. He lifted me off the ground and twirled me around, as I clutched onto him for dear life.

"You weigh, like, nothing!" He exclaimed a little too loudly.

"Well thank you? I'm going to go get into my pajamas." I said, grabbing them out of my duffel bag before heading into the bathroom. When I looked into the mirror, I realized just how bad I looked. I splashed water on my face, and re-did my hair with a brush I found. Then I changed into my pajamas and walked back into James' room to find that he was in middle of changing.

I cleared my throat and turned back around, embarassed. He, on the other hand, was just as confident as he normally was. He laughed and pretended like it didn't happen. I climbed into bed and snuggled close against his warmth, even if it was quite hot outside. He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer than I already was, if that was possible.

"Everything is going to be ok, right Carlitos?" He whispered to me as I put my head in the crook of his neck, in between his chin and collarbone.

"I hope so, James." I said, giggling at the cute nickname he gave me.

"You need anything? You good?" He asked.

"I think i'm all set. And I'm good, for now." I said, flirting a little.

"Good. We'll call your mom in the morning. Also, you gotta climb down that tree and go and ring the doorbell in the morning. Then stay for breakfast, then we'll head for school. And we'll do that every morning. Am I missing anything?" James said, smiling confidently.

"Nope, I don't think so." I said.

"We can make this work." He mumbled.

"James, thank you. Just, for everything. I-I...I love you. So much." I said, cursing myself silently for stuttering at what could have been the most important moment of my life. James looked shocked, in a good way.

"I love you too, Carlitos." He said.

Just as he was regaining his composure, I pulled away from him grabbed him by the back of his neck and pressed my lips to his tenderly. He seemed stiff at first, but relaxed after a second or two. Then it was over.

He didn't even say anything, he just had this huge grin on his face, like he was the happiest man alive.

"Goodnight." I whispered, before turning my body so that I was facing his, pulled myself closer to him, laying my head on his chest and falling asleep.

"Mornin' sleepyhead. Time to get up." James whispered as he placed a kiss on the end of my nose and got out of bed. 7AM already? It felt like it had been 3 minutes since I laid my head on James chest and fell asleep. Just the thought brought a smile to my face.

I propped myself up and caught a glimpse of James walking into the bathroom. I hopped out of bed and picked out my clothes that I was planning to wear today. By the time I was ready to get in the shower, James had finished. He sauntered out of the bathroom with a towel draped around his waist. He didn't even notice me admiring him as he walked by said "There's a towel already in there.".

I headed into the bathroom and grabbed a quick shower, brushed my teeth and changed into my clothes. Then I went back into the bedroom to clean up my mess and toss it in the closet.

"Alright, you head outside. I'll ask mom if you can come over for breakfast. I'll give you the signal, and you ring the doorbell 5 minutes later. Ok?" He said, not even waiting for an answer before kissing me quickly and heading downstairs.

I slid out the window onto the first branch, down to the second, getting a scrape on the third, and then jumping to the ground. I ran around the side of his house silently, waiting for the signal.

After waiting what felt like 15 minutes, but was probably like 5, I heard James having a coughing fit. That was the signal. I brushed myself off and headed towards the front door.

I waited 5 minutes, then rang the doorbell. James answered and invited me in.

"Mom! This is Carlos!" James called through the house.

"Hi Carlos!" I heard from deep inside the house. I looked up at James and laughed.

"Let's get some breakfast." He said, grabbing my hand and leading me into the kitchen.

"We have cereal. That's about it." He said, grabbing an apple. I followed suit and munched on my apple.

When we finished breakfast, it was almost 8. So we hopped in James' truck and drove to school. We made sure nobody was looking, and quickly kissed in his truck.

"When will I see you next?" I asked him, sadly.

"Lunch, Carlos. You'll be fine until then, right?" He asked, obviously worried.

"I'll be good." I said, giving him one last hug before we entered school. It felt like everyones eyes were on me.

James left my side as we passed his first class, and I continued to my locker.

I scrambled with my lock combination, suddenly sweaty. Just as I opened it, two hands shoved me onto the floor. Hard. I landed with a crack, as my head hit the floor.

"What the-" I mumbled, looking up.

"Mornin', fag." Dave said menacingly.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, suddenly aware of everyones eyes on me.

"Your dad told everyone he knows, dumbass. The whole school knows that you're gay." He said, even though it sounded like he was screaming it. My head pounded, as he smacked the side of my face when the bell rang. I slumped down on to the floor, in shock.

It felt like my life was over. What about James? Does anyone know about James? If they lay a finger on him, I will flip shit.

I skipped first period and cleaned myself up in the bathroom. I looked like nothing had even happened, except a large bump on my head, and a small cut on my forehead.  
>James would get suspended if he found out that Dave did this to me. James would kill him. He's over protective, and I love him for that.<p>

It can only get better from here, though, right?

**_Another twist is added. I feel like too much is going on. What should I cut out of the plot? Review please :)_**


	11. Chapter 11

**_Hooray an update! Sorry guys, I've been busy. But school's out for me, so get ready to read! ;)_**

Chapter 11

I spent the rest of my day trying to figure out a story for James at lunch. After third period, I went to my locker and opened it to find my helmet. Of course! My dad gave me my helmet when I was little, and it was perfect.

I put it on and checked myself out in the bathroom mirror. It covered the cut perfectly. Lunch rolled around after third period, and I quickly grabbed a seat at an empty table looking desperately for James. He strolled in, got his lunch and found his way over to me, smiling.

Good, he doesn't know. Hopefully people won't gossip about it too much. But I highly doubt that.

"Hey Carlos! What's with the helmet?" He greeted, laughing.

"Hey. Oh, I just wanted to see if it still fit. It does!" I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster.

"It looks cute." He said, patting it and grinning at me.

"Thanks." I replied, blushing.

"I bet..." He started, as he reached over and pulled the helmet off of my head, "That hat hair looks cuter!" he finished.

"Hey, gimme that back!" I said, reaching for it, but coming up short. I hate being short.

"I was right! You look absolutely adorable." he said, placing the helmet back on my head, not noticing the small cut.

I sighed in relief-a little too early.

"Awh, the fag has a boyfriend!" Someone yelled, and everyone turned to stare at me. I stopped short, staring in shock at my feet. I looked up to see James getting to his feet.

"James, don't." I mumbled to him, tugging on his sleeve. He turned back to me, and I saw pure hatred in his eyes. Then he took off, and I hopped up to try to stop him. I was 30 feet behind him already, but by the time I got there Kendall and Logan had already restrained him. I came up behind him and started talking to him, trying to calm him. Nothing was working, he was seething.

Finally, when we dragged him outside he seemed to get his head on straight.

"Carlos, are you ok?" He turned, grabbing me tightly by the shoulders.

"I'm fine!" I replied.

"I-I...I'll try not to get in a fight. I'll protect you. Whatever, whenever, whoever. You just have to tell me." He said, pulling me closer.

"Uh, just a question. Are you guys together? It's cool if you are." Kendall asked timidly.

"Yeah." James and I replied.

"Alright. Carlos, we got your back, too." Logan said, smiling reassuringly.

"Thanks, guys." I said, trembling.

We all decided to skip the rest of the day and head home.

We pulled into James driveway and walked up to the door in silence. We walked in and sat down at the table, getting a quick lunch. Finally, James broke the silence.

"Where did you get that cut?" He asked, staring at my forehead. Shit. I had taken off my helmet.

"Huh, I don't know." I replied, nervously.

"Carlos." He said sternly, warning me.

"Dave." I replied, putting my head in my hands.

"God damn it." He said, slamming his hands on the table.

"Carlos. You need to tell me these kinds of things. I can protect you!" He said, pulling me into a rough hug, crushing me against his torso since I was sitting down.

Just then, the front door opened and James' mom came strolling into the kitchen, and screamed.

"James! You scared me! Who's this? Why aren't you in school? James..." She said, growing angry. James released me from the hug the second he heard his name.

"Mom! Uh, this is my friend Carlos. We...we skipped the last period. We had a bad day." He said, giving in, unable to find a good answer.

"James Diamond. There's something you aren't telling me. I can tell. Why was your day bad?" She inquired, glancing over to me.

"Uh..." James began, glancing at me. I gave him a nod. "Mom, sit down."

"What is this about?" She said, beginning to get worried.

"Mom, Carlos is...my...boyfriend." He mumbled, looking over at me, then back to his mom trying to read her expression. She jumped up and ran over to him and tackle-hugged him.

"James, you can tell me anything. I don't know why you've been hiding it. I love you no matter what! Hi Carlos!" She finished, releasing James, who was now in tears. I jumped up and sat in his lap, hugging him, and smiling.

"Wait. Why'd you have a bad day?" She demanded.

"Uh, long story." James mumbled as he wiped his tears. He looked at me for the ok.

"Um. See. I came out to my parents the other night, and my dad disapproved. He hit me, then kicked me out. I've...been staying with your son for a few nights. He didn't want to tell you, because that'd raise questions about why I was kicked out and whatnot. Today, I came to school and found out that my dad had told a lot of people. So I got beat up, and then the name-calling at lunch. James got mad, and went to kick his butt. But we held him off, Kendall, Logan, and I. Then we skipped last period and...here we are." I said, fighting the urge to break down. Mrs. Diamond looked heart-broken.

"You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need, Carlos..." "Garcia."

"Garcia. We might need to lay down some rules, though. And if you ever need anything, and I mean anything, don't hesitate." She said, smiling.

"Thank you so much." I replied, running over to hug her.

"I've got some grocery shopping to do. You boys behave!" She said, as she walked out the door.

"That went better than expected." James said, rubbing his eyes. I ran back over to him, bent over and kissed him hard, in his chair. He pressed his lips just as hard to mine, before standing up, causing me to go on my tip toes. He pulled away smiling, and hugged me, again.

"Your mom is awesome." I purred into his muscular chest.

"I know." He whispered into my ear, nibbling on it a little. I moaned. James chuckled.

"James...I-I'm sorry. I don't want to do this quite yet. I-I'm not r-ready. I'm s-s-sorry." I stuttered out finally.

"No, it's fine. I went to far. Slowly. Got it." He smiled, his face a mixture of guilt and shame.

"Lets just head upstairs and chill." I suggested, trying to change the subject.

"Sure!" James responded happily.

We spent the rest of that night talking about random topics, doing homework, and watching more horror movies before bedtime. I climbed into our shared bed and snuggled up to James as usual, entwining my body with his. After a little while I heard him snoring lightly, and I giggled at the noise. I woke him up accidentally by snuggled my face into the crook of his neck.

"Was I snoring?" He whispered, half asleep.

"A little." I teased, giggling.

"My bad." He chuckled, pulling me onto him, so that my chest was pressed against his, and my nose was touching his nose. I giggled once again, and kissed him passionately. I felt his lips curl into a smile. I don't remember much after that except that I fell asleep half on him and half off, with my head on his chest, and his arms wrapped around me tightly.

I woke up to the feeling that I was falling, which was partially true. James had woken up with me on him and had picked me up and placed me back down onto the bed easily. It was scary how strong he was, but it was also...hot.

"Your turn, baby." James said, as he waltzed out of the bathroom looking great as usual.

"Thanks, Jamie." I replied, blushing at the nickname.

I took a quick shower and met James downstairs for some breakfast.

"Ready to go back to school?" He asked, almost sarcastically.

"I hope today doesn't suck as much as yesterday!" I said cheerily. James chuckled and finished his breakfast. He walked behind me, placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head, ruffled my hair, and proceeded outside to wait for me.

"Ready?" He asked, when I met him in the truck.

"As ready as I'll ever be for high school." I replied. We drove to school in silence, both of us praying that the day goes by smoothly. Or at least I was.

We pulled into the parking lot, exchanging looks. I got a quick kiss before we stepped out of his truck and headed for the big double doors that marked hell.

'Today is going to be fine. Just play it cool, and everything will be good.' I remember thinking.

Oh man, I had no idea how wrong I was.

**_Awh. Nothing is ever right for poor Carlos 3 Review!_**


	12. Chapter 12

**_I hope you guys like it :D_**

Chapter 12

We walked through the halls as usual, James squeezing my arm before departing to his homeroom class. I continued on to my locker, praying that I'd get to homeroom safely. I noticed Logan and Kendall across the hall,watching me, ready to help if I needed it.

I unlocked my locker and piled some books in, fixed my hair in the mirror, and then closed it. Nothing. Nobody was throwing punches, I was still standing upright, and I wasn't bleeding. Weird. I glanced at Logan and Kendall, and they shrugged, happy that I was safe. I nodded to them in thanks before heading to homeroom.

I half expected something to happen to me everytime I walked out of the classrooms. It was scary. Other than that, it was the usually boring day of school. Math was boring. English was boring. Social studies was boring. Science was interesting. Finally I got to P.E. I jogged into the locker room, looking for James. There he was, and we were alone too.

"Hi!" I called, running across the room to him.

"Hey Carlos! Are you okay? How's your day going?" He asked impatiently.

"I'm fine! Nothing's happened. I don't think anything is going to happen now that everyone knows that you're on my side." I said, wrapping my arms around him abs hugging him. He squeezed me back.

"Good." I heard him sigh.

We came out of the locker room ready to play.

"Alring! We're playing basketball today, folks. My team over here, the rest of you, over there." The gym teacher yelled loudly. I sighed, realizing that me and James weren't on the same team.

We began playing, and nobody was passing to me. On the other hand, James was doing phenomenal! He had 14 points, including two dunks. Finally I got the ball and went to go drive to the basket, but someone stole the ball and slammed into me, sending me sprawling to the floor. I got back up and realized that it was Dave, again. Uh oh. James sent him some death looks, but decided to not get in a fight. Good boy.

Finally the bell rang and we went to lunch, where I found James sitting at our usual table talking with Logan and Kendall.

"...what an asshole!" I heard Logan exclaim.

"Who?" I asked, suddenly interested. Logan looked over at me, his face full of..pity?

"Dave! Are you ok? I heard he threw you to the floor in basketball." Logan asked, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah! I'm fine! I can take a hit, people. Sheesh. It's not a big deal, really." I said, somewhat loudly.

"Well, Dave won't be ok when I'm through with him." James threatened.

"James. Relax. Don't do anything stupid." I demanded.

"Carlos! You can't let him just torture you every day! It had to stop." He said, seething with anger.

I sighed.

"Well, whatever happens, we've got your back." Kendall piped up, putting his arm around Logan.

"Thanks." James and I said in unison. We continued to eat our lunch in silence, Logan trying to make small talk to ease the tension. Then we heard the word James had been waiting for. "Fag." Dave said as he walked by our table. Before Logan, Kendall, or I could react, James was throwing Dave down by the neck and beating him mercilessly. I threw myself onto James, trying to get him to stop. Finally we managed to pull James off of Dave, and, to our shock, Dave hopped up and slugged me in the face. I fell over backwards, and landed on the floor on my back. I looked up to see Dave getting the shit kicked out of him by James, Kendall, and Logan.

"STOP!" I screamed repeatedly, trying to stop them. But I was too weak, or they were too big and strong. Finally I got them to stop, with the help of quite a few teachers.  
>Before we could say a word, we were in the principals office.<p>

"BOYS! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" the principal asked, yelling.

"Dave called us fags. James went after him. We got him off of Dave. Dave punched Carlos in the face. We beat the shit out of him." Logan said calmly.

"That's not true! They just randomly beat me up! I swear, I didn't touch anyone." Dave pleaded. We were shocked.

"How did this happen?" I screamed, pointing at my bloody nose.

"Allergies? I didn't hit anyone, or call them any names. If you want to be gay, then go ahead." Dave said convincingly.

"Are you serious? You aren't fooling anyone." James said.

"Dave, you're free to go." the principal said, rubbing his temples.

"Thank you sir. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding." Dave replied politely before giving us a sneer and walking out the door.

"ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?" James screamed ferociously.

"I didn't see him do anything wrong. When I came, I saw you beating the poor kid, 3 on 1." He replied calmly, disregarding the language.

"But...that's not fair!" Kendall yelled pathetically.

"You three are suspended." He said, pointing to Kendall, Logan, and James. "Carlos, you did nothing worng. But go get some allergy medicine from the nurse for your nose bleed."

I looked at my friends in complete shock, before leaving to go to the nurse.

"This doesn't look like allergies." The nurse said once I explained why I was there. I shrugged. She gave me some ice, paper towels and sent me on my way.

I met up with James, Logan, and Kendall in the hallways between classes.

"So, now what?" I asked, staring into James' eyes trying to figure out what he's thinking.

"We leave school grounds for the rest of this week and half of next week. 5 days. Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We come back on Thursday." Logan said, disappointed.

"But...now you guys can't protect me!" I replied, scared.

"Exactly. That's what I'm most worried about. Without us here, Dave and his friends have a direct path to Carlos." Kendall replied, obviously feeling stupid and guilty for what they did.

"Just stay away from him. Be close to teachers. I don't know. I'm sorry." James whispered after he pulled me close to him. A few teachers came a bit later and guided the three off of school grounds. As soon as they were out of sight, a cold shiver ran through my body. It was then that I realized how vulnerable I was. Dave and his friends had an easy target.

I can honestly say that I have never felt that scared, except maybe once. And I don't want to get back into that.

I followed James' advice, and literally hid from my tormentors. I waited with teachers, I practically ran to my next classes, and I STAYED OUT OF HIS WAY.

When I got off the bus, James was waiting outside for me. We walked down the driveway in silence, considering the next hour was going to be the complete opposite.

"YOU GOT SUSPENDED?" screamed, when James told her the news.

"Uh, yeah. For good reason, I might add." James murmured.

"Oh, please fill me in." She replied with sarcasm.

"It's Dave! He called poor Carlos a 'fag' and punched him right in the face! If it helps, Logan and Kendall helped me beat the shit out of him and they got suspended too! But not Dave. He got off scot free. Even though he started the whole thing." James yelled, face getting red.

"THAT DOESN'T MATTER! YOU GOT SUSPENDED! SO YOU'RE GROUNDED!" screamed, even louder than James did.

James huffed a little, then grabbed me by the arm and literally carried me up the stairs. When we got into his room, he slammed his backpack into his wall and collapsed on his bed. I walked over and sat down next to him.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. His head whipped up, looking at me.

"For what? You did nothing wrong." He said, trying to calm himself down.

"I don't know. I just feel like this is my fault." I mumbled.

"Of course it's not your fault, Carlos!" He said, pulling me down next to him, wrapping his arms around me.

"I just...I don't know." I finished lamely.

"Just relax." He whispered in my ear.

So I did. And we fell asleep like that.

I woke up to James muttering "Shit."

"Carlos. Carrrrloooooooosssss." He said, nudging me with his arm.

"Mrrgh. What?" I said, beginning to wake up.

"You gotta get up and go to school." He said, laughing.

"Fu-"

"Go get in the shower." He interrupted.

I went and got into the shower, as usual. But when I got out, James was sleeping again. So I got dressed, brushed my teeth, planted a light kiss on his forehead, and headed downstairs.

It felt weird waiting for the bus.

I finally got to school, but earlier than normal. Usually, James and I get there right as the bell rings. But this time, I was early. Which meant that I had to wait in the hallways for the bell to ring.

I walked through the big double doors as usual, but this time, I dreaded the day more than usual.

I have never felt that alone.

**_Getting a little dramatic ;) I hope you like it!  
><em>_Please review, review, review! _**


	13. Chapter 13

**_Short chapter :P  
><em>**  
>Chapter 13<p>

Everything was going rather smoothly, to my surprise. Despite a few small things, of course.

In homeroom I got hit by a ton of spitballs, so between first and second period I went straight to the bathroom to clean out my hair.

I shoved my head under the faucet and rubbed my head really fast, spraying wads of paper and water everywhere. I heard someone come into the bathroom, and didn't think much of it until I was just about to turn off the water when a huge hand was placed on the back of my head, forcing it into the sink. I hit my face in the sink, and began coughing and spluttering from all the water coming into my nose and mouth. I began to panic and I threw a punch wildly behind me, and struck something, causing his grip on my head to release me.

I pulled my face out of the sink, coughing, and spun around to see Dave. Well, not Dave. Just his fist, as it smashed into my left temple. I fell to the ground, and threw my arms over my head because I was too dizzy to stand back up and fight. I felt a kick to my gut, then my back, and then my head. After those blows I began to lose sight, and I just gave in to sleep.

I woke up in a brightly lit, white room that smelled like medicine. I looked over and realized that I was in the nurses office. But by the looks of me, I should be in a hospital. I had a cast on my leg, and bandages around my head and hands.

"What happened?" I asked, moaning.

"I was hoping that you would answer that question." The principal said, walking into the room.

"I don't remember much of anything." I replied.

"Well, tell us what you do remember. And no lies, ." he warned, which basically meant; don't blame this on Dave.

"I got caught in a spitball war in homeroom. Then between first and second period, I went to wash the paper out of my hair. I remember a lot of water, then pain, and here I am." I said anxiously. I knew Dave had beaten me up. But if I told on him, it'd make for a week of hell.

"Ok. We don't know who did this to you, but we'll figure it out. Thanks." He said, and with that he was gone.

"No problem." I murmured more to myself, than anybody.

James is totally going to flip shit. Dave will be reduced to a pulp if James gets anywhere near him. I checked the clock and asked the nurse if I could just go home.

"Might as well, you only have 1 period left." She sighed. I thanked her and hobbled out into the hallway, trying to "break in" my crutches. I could actually go pretty fast if I wanted to. I made my way outside, and texted James to come get me.

'Oh no, what happened?' he replied.

'Just come get me and try not to freak out :P' I texted back.

'I'll be there in a second.'

I looked up to see James rounding the corner about 5 minutes later. The second he got close enough to see me, I could see by the expression on his face that he was heartbroken.

I hobbled up to the truck, and by the time I got to the door, he was already helping me in.

"What the hell happened?" He asked, beginning to get upset.

"James, it's nothing. Just don't be mad or do anything stupid to further your suspension. Or worse." I said, trying to be assertive.

"Carlos.." He warned.

"Dave jumped me in the bathroom, okay? Damn it." I said, beginning to cry from frustration, pain and anger.

"God fu- You know what? I'm going to hire a fucking bodyguard for you. And as soon as I'm back in school, I will beat the shit out of Dave. You won't even be able to recognize him." James yelled.

Then he realized that I was crying, and his expression softened as he put his arm around me.

"Why me?" I whispered.

"I don't know, Carlos, I don't know." James whispered back. "Let's just get you home, and comfortable."

When we got home, I tried to prove to James that I wasn't completely useless in a cast and tried to get out of his truck by myself. But of course, I slipped, catapaulted myself out of the truck and landed in a heap on the driveway. James heard my yelp and sprinted around the side of the truck to assist me.

"Carlos! Are you ok? You need to wait for me!" He scolded.

"James, i'm fine. I can get around on my own, it's cool." I replied, wincing as I tried to get up. I sat back down on the ground, and sighed.

"Alright, he we go." He grunted as he picked me up bridal style, carried me into the house, and set me down on the couch.

"James, you can't just carry me whenever I need to move." I sighed, even though I liked it.

"What do you want for a snack?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Hmm, how about some of that leftover ice cream?" I asked cheerily.

"Sure, hold on!" I heard him yell from the kitchen.

As I waited for James to prepare my ice cream, I realized that school was just going to get worse. First day without James, Kendall, and Logan, and I already had a broken leg. Trying to get around in school was going to be that much harder, and with the fact that I now have crutches; Dave would see me quicker. It'd be harder to sneak around. And everyone picks on the cripple. School was just going to get worse.

"Here's your ice cream!" James squealed as coming into the living room and pulled me out of my depressing thoughts. He must have seen the look on my face, because he suddenly got serious. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"I'm just...worried. Scared. You know, the usual." I said shakily. He gave me this look that said "About?"

"Dave. It's just going to get worse. The first day without you guys to protect me and he breaks my friggin' leg!" I shrieked, collapsing into James' arms. We sat there for a long time while he played with my hair, obviously trying to figure out the right thing to say.

"Well. How about this; you're sick until next week, when I come back!" He said enthusiastically. Duh, how did I not think of that?

"That could work!" I said, sitting up. James smiled.

"We'd have to figure out the details, but it could work!" James interjected.

Let me think. No school. About a week of nothing but my boyfriend. And then when I go back to school my legs will be safe. Sounds like a good idea to me.

"Alright, let's see. You could have a surgery! Or, a bad case of the flu? Which one is more believable?" James asked.

"Surgery. Because I have a broken leg. We could just say that they had to go and adjust the bones, or they grew back wrong or something." I said, slowly standing up by myself.

"Sounds good. I'll get my mom to call the school." James said, cheering quietly as he swept me off my feet and carried me up to our bedroom. He placed me on the bed, and flicked on the tv. It was the news.

"-been apprehended for raping multiple young men violently." the newswoman was saying. Both James and I froze and looked over at the tv. "Here is a picture of the criminal; 24 year old Jay Sklart."

It showed a picture of the same man that raped me. I began crying tears of happiness and relief. James looked over with a smile on his face and hugged me, whispering "You're safe now."

"You're safe."

**_Ah. Carlos' life is finally looking up for once in a while. Wonder what happens over "vacation". ;) Review!_**


	14. Chapter 14

**_I know I haven't updated in forever. But neither have any of you people. So. Read. Review. THEN UPDATE YOUR OWN STORY! :D_**

Chapter 14

It was so...freeing to know that the man that had attacked me was gone. One less thing to worry about, right? I was so happy, and shocked and totally overwhelmed that I didn't know what to do. So I pulled away from James, grabbed him by the back of his neck and brought our lips together ever so lightly.

I could feel his initial shock, but he quickly realized what happened and smiled through the kiss we were sharing. After what felt like nanoseconds (But was probably actually 5 seconds) we pulled away, smiling at each other.

"Carlos! What was that?" James giggled excitedly.

"I don't know, it just seemed right." I said, blushing.

"Well do it again." James growled, as he crawled around me to get a better position before he pressed our lips together hungrily. Everything just felt so...right. Then I felt a pressure on my chest, pushing me so that I was laying down. I gasped into our kiss when I realized that it was James, wanting more than just a little kiss. He pulled away abruptly.

"Tell me when to stop, Carlitos." He whispered, as I nodded my head. He leaned back down, and began kissing me again. But this time was different. He was much more aggressive this time, practically forcing his tongue into my mouth. Almost. He pulled his tongue out of my mouth, moving off of me, to stand next to my bed.

"Ha, it's getting hot in here." He laughed, pulling his shirt over his head. He threw the shirt to the side and crawled back onto me, straddling my stomach. I put my hands on his shoulders, keeping him back, as I took in all his glory. He was definitely muscular. I guess I had forgotten the last time I saw him shirtless.

He smirked, grabbed my wrists, and sort of held me down as he kissed my neck. He finally let go of my wrists and grasped my hair as he kissed me. That was when he went too far. He stopped kissing me, and tugged at the hems of my shirt. I held my shirt down, and I saw the confusion spread across his face. I looked away as he tried to make eye contact. "I'm sorry, Carlos. I just wanted to see how...er-ready you are." He whispered.

"It's ok. I get it. I'm just a little self-conscious of...my body." I finished. He nodded.

"So what do you want to do, then?" He said, changing the subject as he pulled his shirt back over his head.

"It's up to you, I guess." I mumbled.

"How about dinner?" He suggested as he looked at his wrist, realized he wasn't wearing a watch, and blushed. I giggled to myself.

"Oh shut up!" He squealed, before jumping onto the bed, pushing me over, and placing kisses all over my face. Then they started to get lower, onto my neck. I grimaced and put my hands on his chest, slightly pushing. He stopped quickly.

"Right, sorry." He breathed as he kissed me on the nose,before getting off the bed and helping me up. James looked lost/confused/embarrassed.

"Dinner." I prompted.

"Right." He said, pulling me towards the door, momentarily forgetting about my leg.

"AGH!" I yelled. He spun around on his heel with shock on his face.

"I'm SO SORRY. I forgot! Here, let me carry you!" He said shakily, before bending over, grabbing my waist and tossing me over his shoulder. I started laughing when he went down the stairs really fast, purposely bouncing me a lot. I smacked the first thing I saw; his ass.  
>"Hey!" He yelled playfully, throwing me down on the couch.<p>

"What? I couldn't help it!" I said, winking.

"I liked it." He said, as creepily as he could. We paused for a second, and then burst into laughter. "I'm gunna go make us dinner. I'll be back." He whispered to me as he kissed my forehead and waltzed into the kitchen.

James was very romantic when he wanted to be. Playful, too. And now that he knew his boundaries, I was all set. As much as I wanted to go further with James, it felt wrong. I don't know if it was because of that terrible night. Or if it's because he looks like the man in jail. Or maybe it's because I don't love him enough, yet. I'm not sure.  
>"Back!" James said, pulling me out of my thoughts. He put my plate of steak, potatoes, and salad onto the coffee table and then proceeded to help me sit up. Once I was comfortable, he popped a movie into the dvd player, and planted himself next to me on the ouch, putting his arm around me. I guess we were both pretty hungry, considering we both finished our dinner before the commercials ended.<p>

The movie began, and I realized it was a scary one. Very quickly. Someone was brutally murdered in the beginning, and then the murderer started murdering everyone linked to that person. I jumped at every little thingy. Then James did the same thing that he did the first time we watched a scary movie; he ruffled my hair. I smiled at him, and he returned it. I wrapped my arm around his waist/abs, and snuggled into his warmth. And then he pulled me closer.

I guess I fell asleep, because I woke up later and I was draped across something warm, and tough. But soft, too. I picked up my head, and realized that both me and James fell asleep. And I fell asleep on him. I sighed quietly, as to not wake him up, and helped us both into a sleeping position on the couch. The last thing I remember was us facing each other on the couch, my face an inch away from his, snuggling my head into his chest, and falling asleep.

I woke up to the wind being knocked out of me.

"-oof!" I managed to squeak, as I opened my eyes.

"Carlos! I'm so sorry, are you ok?" James asked, worried.

"I'm fine, what happened?" I replied, pushing myself into a sitting position.

"Well. I tried to get up to make us breakfast, but I accidentally pushed you while trying to climb over you, and you landed on the floor. I didn't want to wake you up. Sorry." He said.

"James, it's cool. I'm not a baby!" I said harshly, but laughing, too.

"I know, I just didn't want to hurt you. And your leg...I just feel bad, that's all." He said, running his fingers through his bedhead.

"I'm fine, honestly." I said, glancing at his messy, cute hair.

"Don't look at it!" He said, wrapping his arms around his head and running into the kitchen.

"IT LOOKS CUTE!" I yelled, and then went silent, listening for a response.

"No it doesn't!" He whispered in my ear, creeping up behind me. I jumped, and we both started laughing.

"Oh just help me up, bedhead." I giggled.

"Fineeeeee." He said, dragging his feet over to me, and pulling me up.

"Piggyback ride?" I asked.

"Sure!" He replied happily. He bent down, helped me onto his back, and we ran into the kitchen to make breakfast.

We got all the ingredients out, and began cooking. We were making my favorite; M&M pancakes, and bacon! I was in charge of the pancakes, and he was in charge of the bacon. I had made about 3 pancakes when I got hit with a cloud of flour. I turned on my heel, to see a playful James, with a powdery, white hand.

"Oh hell no." I said, before grabbing the nearest ingredient, a glob of butter, and chucking it at him. It hit him square in the chest, and he gasped. Uh oh. He turned, smiling and grabbed an egg. I grabbed a cup of milk. "Carlos. This is just going to get worse, before it gets better." He said, tossing the egg up and down threateningly.  
>"Bring it on." I said, and threw my cup of milk the same time he threw his egg. Surprisingly, they both collided in mid-air spraying egg schrapnel, and milk all over the kitchen. I ended up getting most of my milk in the face, and James got egg yolk on top of the glob of butter on his chest. It was quiet for a second and then we burst out laughing.<p>

"Alright, let's clean up." James suggested, once we pulled ourselves together.

"Okay." I replied, grabbing a mop from the closet. While I mopped the floor he finished cooking breakfast, and by the time I was done cleaning, he was done cooking. So we sat down and ate.

"Mmmmm. This is so good." I said, in between mouthfuls of M&M pancakes.

"Thank you, but I only take pay in kisses." He said, smirking.

"Sounds good to me." I replied, leaning across the table with pancake bits all over my face, giggling.

"Carlos, no!" He yelled, and fell over out of his chair to get away from me.

"I'm kidding!" I said, wiping my mouth and swallowing the pancake.

"Now, you can pay me." He said. I leaned over and pecked him lightly on his soft lips.

"That's it?" He asked, frowning.

"For now.." I said, slowly getting up. "I'll kiss you once you brush your teeth!" And with that, I limped off into the living room, trying to get away.

"Hey!" I heard James yell from the kitchen. By the time he finally got into the living room, I had hidden between the couch and a trunk/coffee table.

"Carlos. Come out come out where ever you are." He whispered quietly. As soon as he said that, he walked right where I wanted him. I stuck out my arm and grabbed his legs, causing him to scream and come toppling over. I pulled myself next to him, kissed him (Longer than the little kiss at breakfast), smiled, and whispered; "I win."

**_fluffyfluffyfluffy. review pleaseeee._**


	15. Chapter 15

**_This chapter is amazingly fluffy, because i'm lonely._**

Chapter 15

The rest of the day was just as flirty as that morning. Once we had both showered and gotten dressed, we played xbox for a while, which was quite fun. Then we blasted some music and decided to dance around the kitchen, while making a huge feast of a lunch.

"Don't stop, believin', hold on to that feeling! Don't stop!" James finished loudly as he chopped veggies for our salad. Then he turned on his heel, and bowed gracefully, giggling.

"Wonderful." I applauded sarcastically.

"Oh shut up." He growled as he put down his knife and ran over to me, wrapping his arms around me and pushing me over, holding me in midair, with about a foots distance between my head and the floor. I smiled at him. He pulled me back and into a hug, and we stood there for a while just kind of taking in the moment. Then the music shuffled itself from "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey to "Drops of Jupiter" by Train, and I unwrapped my arms from around his waist and wrapped them around his neck while we swayed back and forth to the music. Every once in a while I would "adjust" my arms, pulling myself closer and closer to him until we were pressed tightly together and then I nuzzled my head into his neck and jawline. After a little bit, I noticed something.

"You didn't shave this morning. I can feel the scruff." I whispered. I felt him chuckle.

"Sorry." He mumbled back.

"It's ok. I like the feeling." I replied quietly.

We danced like that for the rest of the song, both of us enjoying every second of it. At the end we pulled away, smiling at each other. Then we went back to making our lunch, dancing stupidly around the kitchen until we were tired and ready to eat.

"Dig in!" He yelled, before we both started shoveling food into our mouths. Within minutes we were done, and super full. We cleaned the kitchen quickly, and proceeded to the living room.

"So what's next on our agenda?" I asked sitting down next to James, laying half on him and half off so that my head was on his chest.

"Whatever you want to do!" He replied, wrapping his arms around my neck, and resting them on my belly.

"How about...this!" I said, before spinning around quickly and pushing my lips to his. It started off cute. Then it turned hot. He slid down so that he was laying on the couch, I was straddling him, and I was bent over kissing him. I felt a little pressure on my lips, and realized that it was James' tongue asking for access to my mouth. Needless to say, I granted him access and our tongues met in my mouth. I took my focus off of his tongue long enough to realize that he was making another move; my shirt was almost off!

"Gah, James. No, I don't-no." I muttered, pulling my shirt back down.

"Carlos. It's ok. Your body is adorable. Don't be self conscious." He growled, sucking on my neck.

"James-hnngh. James! I don't want to!" I yelled, pulling myself away from him and standing up.

"Carlos, we don't have to! I just-" He began as I turned and ran upstairs. I went straight into the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I went over to the mirror and lifted up my shirt to reveal a caramel tan pudgey belly. I know I'm not fat. But I'm not skinny, either. I don't have much muscle. But I don't have none. I feel too mediocre. I sighed, and pulled my shirt back down.

"Carlos? I'm sorry. I realize i'm pushing it, but...well, no buts. I'm sorry. I'll tone it down a bit, ok? Carlos?" James voice came from behind the closed bathroom door.  
>"Uh-yeah." I mumbled, opening the door quickly. James looked down at me, with apologetic eyes that I couldn't resist. "Don't tone it down, but don't tone it up either."<br>He smiled. "Sounds good. I just want you to know that you're as perfect as perfect gets."

"Uhhh, sure." I said, rolling my eyes as we began to walk downstairs. Suddenly I felt James' strong firm hands grab my shoulders and turn me to face him.

"You do realize that you could pull the worlds ugliest face in a picture and still look as adorable as you would if you smiled your perfect smile? And that everything you do and the way you carry yourself is just so charming and enchanting that everyone can't only help to watch? And that if someone vomited on a shirt and you wore it, it'd still look adorably cute? And no matter what shape your hair is in you can turn it sexy? Right?" He whispered to me. "Oh, and i'm the worlds luckiest guy to have found you."  
>"You're so sweet." I whispered as our noses touched just before a passionate and long kiss. "Let's go figure out what we're going to do later." James said, smiling after we finally pulled away from the kiss.<p>

"Sure." I whispered, as I ran into our room and grabbed my wallet. I then decided to pull the cast off, since it was one of those ones that you can take on and off, and see if my leg was ok. It was definitely getting better. And, it was walkable, I thought as I strolled out of our room. "James!" I yelled from the top of the stairs.

"Yeah?" He said, his voice coming from the kitchen.

"Carry me." I said in the childish voice I could manage.

"I'll be right there." He said, laughing. Within a few seconds he was coming up the stairs.

"Carlos! What about your cast?" He asked in shock.

"I'll be fine. It's walkable! Now carry meeeee!" I pouted. He sighed, smiling.

"Alright, here we go." He said under his breath as he pulled me into his arms, bridal style.

"You're hot." I whispered. He laughed. We got outside and he helped me into his truck.

"Where to?" He asked, as he climbed in.

"I don't know, just drive and we'll pick something." I said, as the engine roared to life and the truck sprung into motion. Before I knew it we were driving through the center of town, passing local stores, diners, restaurants, movie theaters, and gas stations.

"Dinner and a movie?" He asked, glancing between me and the road, smirking. I looked at the time; 5:47. Where had the time gone?

"Sounds romantic. Sure." I giggled in reply. We pulled into a cute little diner and he helped me out of the truck. We walked in together and got a table.

"So, what movie would you like to see?" He asked, grabbing a menu and browsing.

"Something...exciting. A thriller. Action-packed. Something like..." I said, trailing off.

"Lion King 3D." He answered.

"You know me so well." I giggled back.

We ordered shortly later and ate our meals quickly, as we discovered that our movie was beginning soon. We hopped into his truck, and started the drive to the movie theater. We got there just as the movie started.

"Woah, just in time." I whispered as we began to look for a couple open seats. We finally found some, just in front of some guys from school. Uh oh. "psst. J-james." I whispered, trying to get his attention to alert him of the guys behind us. He couldn't hear me. I decided to drop it, and watch the movie. Before I knew it, I was getting tired, and slumped down with my head on James' shoulder. Next thing I knew, James was lifting my head up with his fingers on my chin, and kissing me. Just as our lips touched we heard laughing behind us. Oops.

"We got it on camera! The fags making out!" one of them yelled, and the whole theater erupted into laughter.

"What the fuck?" James yelled, getting to his feet quickly, and throwing a punch. I heard a solid connection and the laughter ended quickly and turned into a collective gasp.

"Let's go!" James rumbled, suddenly pulling me to my feet and practically dragging me out of the theater. As we passed what seemed like endless rows of seats I heard many people call me a "fag", "homo", and "queer". When we passed the row of guys from school, I got tripped, and punched simultaneously. James lifted me to my feet, once again, and pulled me out of there. By the time I got into the truck, tears were streaming down my face.

"Carlos, i'm sorry." James mumbled, and started the truck as we saw the guys approaching. We got out of there just in time. After the long car ride home, we trudged back into the house and straight up the stairs. Without a peep, I grabbed my towel and closed the bathroom door behind me. I quickly undressed and started the hot water. As it warmed up, I looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were bright red, and my face was tear-tracked. I rubbed my eyes one last time, and got into the steamy shower. By the time I got out, there was no more hot water and my skin was pruny. I dryed myself off quickly, and left my hair a mess.

I walked silently back into our room, and got into some flannel pants and a white tank top. I climbed slowly under the covers, next to James, and curled up in a ball; since I was cold. I wasn't even tired. It was only 9:30. But I didn't feel like being awake anymore. James interrupted my thoughts by wrapping his arm around me and pulling me into his body. I rolled over and draped one arm around his belly, and the other between his back and his pillow. Then I laid my head on his chest, and wrapped my legs around one of his. He was so warm! But all he was wearing was a pair of boxers.

"How are you so warm?" I asked, looking up at him.

"No idea." He replied, threading his finger through my hair.

I began to drift off, as he stayed up watching tv. Every once in a while, he would laugh at the show he was watching, and his laughter would ripple through his body, rumbling through mine. Finally, he turned off the tv, and wrapped his arm around me. He gave me a kiss on my head, and we fell asleep, completely forgetting about the guys from the movie theater.

**_Told you. Reviews? ;)_**


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